My understanding is that the new software was pushed out to all Sonos users a few weeks ago, and that the "sanctioned" drivers strip users of functionality they had with the unsanctioned drivers.

Yes? Customers complaining?

Yes, this has been a nightmare. Clients have been used to one eco system only to have to use two. In the case of C4 you have to use Sonos app todo anything useful. The clients have to set favorites within Sonos and then they can access those saved items from control4 . You then can only skip forward or back once in C4. Having to go between apps is not only very annoying some clients are having issues knowing when todo so.

I have one client that sent me a nasty message saying this isn't what I sold him.

Unfortunately at this point I'm having to explore other options like Music Cast or HEOS to give my clients what they once had with Sonos. Sonos royally has screwed us. This new announced partnership within the CI community has ended up being anything but a partnership. On a side note, what's with the IN-App promos?

I did a tremendous amount of money with Sonos last year given the size of my shop, but I have to look out for my best interests and the interests of my clients at this point and have to look at other (now) viable options. Why did Sonos have to break what was great?

Yes..this is a common feeling....the "sanctioned" drivers are extremely limited and reduce the amount of control available to the 3rd party control system. They appear to be doing everything that they can to drive us away. The company employed territory reps are absolutely tone deaf to the issue.

Sonos does not care about us, at all. As soon as Yamaha or Denon launches an alarm feature for MusiCast/ Heos, I'm gone.

The API from Sonos is very limited because Sonos has never cared about the CI industry.

They have whole new group of people that sorta understand the CI industry and our market. They want to add more to the API but the higher ups won't let them, just yet.

I think once Crestron, C4, etc put more pressure on Sonos the API will open up more.

At least this is what I got from a Crestron training about Sonos and Alexa talking to Sonos engineers and Crestron's people.

OTOH - With Crestron's new TSW-XXX60 panels and iOS app you can use the basic API and Crestron's Media Player then launch the Sonos App for full control. I have this for one client with iPads and it works quite well.

Also a plus for the API you can use keypads or wand style remotes and still have SOME control of the Sonos. You can go through favorites easily enough.

Complaints. Every. Day.
Finger-pointing ensued.
And confusion from customers and installers alike.
You get access to favorites and that's it, no more direct access to the services...unless you switch back to the Sonos app.

I am completely with Brendon on this one. C4 / Sonos " endorsed " driver is a complete joke. First of all it is missing the most basic functionalities. Just a fact alone that driver does not support manual input switching between line-in and streaming makes it rather useless in custom installations. I am not even talking about lost ability to use multiple sonos players as a matrix switcher, but even a simple one room solutions with Playbar is no longer reliable once you start switching between streaming and TV ( if somebody decides to use both Sonos app and C4 remote ). Don't even get me started on lost music services, lack of search functionality etc. , etc. . Needless to say I will be looking at Sonos competitors as well.

I haven't attempted to control Sonos from a half baked driver in years but wasn't this only a matter of time?  Were any of these drivers from EV and others ever officially supported by Sonos?  I ask because I don't know.  You guys are putting "sanctioned" and "endorsed" in quotes...... What does this mean?

If Sonos said they supported them and then changed you have a right to be pissed but If they were not and you're designing your systems with control drivers that you know could lose integration in the future I think the fault lies with your design and not with Sonos.

No...the reverse engineered drivers worked just fine...not everything was perfect but they were good.

Sonos partnered with C4 and Crestron to launch the fist "official" Sonos drivers for automation systems and frankly they suck

This

Whatever our (CI's) numbers were, it wasn't enough or we didn't grow our numbers enough. Sonos wants to step around us and cut out the middle man. In the marketing department's eyes, a customer should be "touched" periodically. If we don't "touch", then Sonos will "touch" and steal the customer. Of course, this will hasten our spiral downward because each of these "touch" sales is taken from our numbers and adds to the proof that we don't know what we are doing and we are not an asset for the long term. At best we can make the initial sale for Sonos. In a sense we are just commissioned sales staff and the boss will let us go if we don't make our numbers. Never mind that the boss is poaching our repeat sales (and eliminating the commission).

As I setup Sonos systems, I opt out of the promotions. Customers appreciate that. Evidently, Sonos does not.

Sonos tracks all sales and they know which systems each of us started. If they wanted, they could give us some sort of consideration when one of our customers purchases an add-on direct.

With regard to the "touch", my customers appreciate that I don't constantly bombard them with promotion. This is a major reason why they stay with me and recommend me to friends and associates. I just returned from a new referral site and, yes, there will be a new Sonos sale.

No...not "this" .

The question is not about the reverse engineered drivers that are at our risk. This is about the officially supported drivers developed and approved by Sonos/C4/Crestron that are almost useless.

this is the question that Julie is asking.

Considering what C4 did for Extra Vegetables partners after the purchase, I don't think that C4 will be calling the kettle black.

Calling the Sonos App, then returning to the caller, is not hard on iOS, but the calling App must be compiled to do this. (It's just a few added statements) I assume that this is true for Androids too.

Given the complexity of the Sonos player interactions with the controller and each other, and the idea that the protocol was never formally published, I assumed that we would end up here at some point and never tried to develop my own controller for my customers. Mostly, the protocol is open (UPnP is open), but there are nagging little details that could trip up an application that attempts direct control, particularly with respect to music service interactions.

I find that customers are OK as the Sonos controller is called from the remote App, then returning to the remote control App. Returning to the remote control App is a four finger swipe or a touch in the upper left. Customers get this on the first try. Sticking with the Sonos controller also has the advantage that customers have access to any new Sonos controller features as soon as the features are released and don't need to wait for me to develop a response to the update then distribute my code to each customer.

it only effects spotify and amazon. this was not sonos, it was the music services. they changed the way they authenticate. it really sucks, but such is life. i just ordered a fusion solo to play with in my own system.

I believe that apple music is part of that list.
Also Sonos could have very easily told them no. They are easily the biggest streaming player out there.
So unless there is some revenue sharing between the music services and Sonos (most likely) then there really was no reason for them to bend over.

I will say this as well. The new driver is a POS and a good reason to stop supporting Sonos, unless they pull their collective heads out of their a$$e$.